30th June and 7th July 2020 · ‘That was the year that Was – 1963’
Presenter: Geoff Plumb
After having our Branch Meetings postponed for April, May and June, due to the virus pandemic, we arranged a Zoom virtual meeting organised by David Jackman (Society Webmaster) and Jeremy Harrison (Web Coordinator at the Croydon & South London Branch) to see how it all works. We had some members’ slides to show everyone present. After a few teething problems with all of us novices learning as we went, several presentations were given, and it did work out very well, with 27 members attending. This took place on 30th June, which was a week before our next scheduled meeting, so we decided to have our July Branch Meeting virtually, as fortunately our Branch Chairman Geoff Plumb was the booked speaker, so all systems go.
For our July meeting we welcomed Branch Chairman Geoff Plumb for another in his presentations of ‘That was the year that Was’ this time featuring 1963.
Starting with 2¼” square B&W photographs and leading to 35mm colour slides we started with a photo of Geoff on the footplate of 58077 at aged 4 in 1953 at Wirksworth. We then went through the months and visited various venues starting at Southampton’s Town Quay and 0-4-0T 77s and in freezing conditions the last day of all stations Princes Risborough to Banbury service at P.R. and Haddenham, before moving to an open day at Eastleigh which featured an H class, O2 and a recently outshopped Q1 33038.
Over to Bristol with a ‘Warship’ in charge of ‘The Bristolian’ before travelling to Severn Tunnel Junction by DMU and returning behind 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. Back at Bristol we saw a Blue Pullman taken in B&W, but which Geoff is meticulously converting to colour!!
We saw D322 picking up water at Bushey water-troughs which was the first one of its class to be withdrawn.
A railtour took him with Flying Scotsman from Paddington via High Wycombe which featured a busy yard, and Wolverhampton Stafford Road to Ruabon where two ‘Manors’ took over to Barmouth and Minffordd, and on to the Ffestiniog Railway where we saw Prince, Princess and Welsh Pony which only last week steamed again.
A North Midlands Tour saw West Country Pacific 34006 Bude take the train from St. Pancras to Derby then B1 61004 Oryx to Buxton, Ashbourne and Burton with Bude back to St. Pancras.
An East Midlands Branch Tour took us to Melton Mowbray, Leicester Belgrave Road via Marefield Junction then Seaton and Uppingham Branch, Luffenham, Manton Junction, Cottesmore Branch [now home to Rocks by Rail Ironstone Museum] by Black Five and 2-6-4T 42087.
A few express locos at Hatch End and Bushey water-troughs and over to Hadley North for the last weekend of steam south of Peterborough before popping over to Swindon Works with sparkling locos and redundant ones too.
In Part 2 there was a Gloucestershire Railtour which had an Avonmouth Docks tour then 2-6-2T 82036 visiting the branches of Sharpness, Dursley, Nailsworth and Stroud Midland.
From Dursley, the train ran back to Coaley Junction and then north along the Midland main line to Stonehouse Bristol Road station for a trip along the branch to Nailsworth. Having propelled the stock into the branch platform, 82036 has run round the train and is now trying to couple up again before heading for Nailsworth. Sunday 21st July 1963. RCTS "Gloucestershire Railtour". Note the coal wagons in the goods yard and the Midland signals and signalbox on the main line.
Photo © Geoff Plumb
Other highlights were a Barclay saddletank at Purfleet Cement Works, Countess on the W&LLR, No. 4 at Snowdon Mountain Railway, Linda at Penrhyn Crossing and 41226 at Amlwch.
Over to the Isle of Man viewing the Douglas Horse Tramway, Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T Maitland at Douglas along with No. 8 Fenella and No. 10 G.H.Wood, MER Trams at Derby Castle and Snaefell MR stock at Laxey and en route to the summit.
Back in Wales saw a deserted Dinas Junction just after closure, Fairbourne Railway in 15” gauge days, Dolgoch on the Talyllyn Railway, Llywelyn and Owain Glyndŵr on the VofRR, and The Earl on W&LLR.
A Brake Van tour of The Isle of Axholme Light Railway followed, with Hunslet Class 05 No. D2611.
Some more industrials, including fireless locos at various paper mills in North Kent, and also on the Bowaters Railway at Sittingbourne were featured, as was another RCTS ‘East Midlander’ tour with ‘Crab’ 42896 visiting Crewe and Horwich Works from Nottingham.
To round-off there were visits to Willesden and Old Oak Common sheds and some scenes on the WCML just north of Watford Tunnel.
A wonderfully nostalgic evening with some lovely photos all taken by a 13/14 year old boy, enjoyed by an attendance of 33 members and visitors.
This online ‘Zoom’ meeting being deemed a success, it was decided that an extra meeting be set-up for 4th August 2020 (the Branch does not normally hold a meeting in August), for another session of ‘Member’s Images’.
Rob Davidson, Branch Secretary